Information on the avenues of recourse to file a complaint of police inaction was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. The Website of the Israel Police indicated that the Public Complaints Unit (PCU), located at the National Headquarters in Jerusalem (n.d.a) "[h]andles all complaints from members of the public against serving officers" (n.d.b). In recent years, the PCU claims to have closed between 30 and 40 per cent of complaints involving inappropriate police conduct because they were regarded as "unsubstantiated" (Israel Police n.d.c). In response to dissatisfaction with the complaints mechanism among members of the public and police officers, the police commissioner launched a pilot project in January 2004 that would involve mediation between police officers and complainants (ibid.). According to the Israel Police, the project, which operates in the Jerusalem District and the Sharon Sub-district, was a success, and the police commissioner has decided to implement this strategy across the entire public complaints system and continue its expansion (ibid.).

In its 2004 Activity Report, the human rights organization B'Tselem, an Israeli organization that provides information on human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, indicated that in 2004 it sent dozens of cases of complaints against police officers and soldiers to investigation units (B'Tselem 2004). The organization alleges that it "was instrumental in obtaining the first conviction in five years of a Border Police officer for abusing Palestinians" (ibid.). B'Tselem further noted that since 1992, the Department for the Investigation of Police (DIP) of the Ministry of Justice has been investigating complaints of police brutality (ibid. n.d.). However, the Research Directorate could not find further information on the DIP within time constraints.

Another Israeli human rights organization, HaMoked (Center for the Defence of the Individual), assists Palestinians who feel their rights have been violated by forwarding their complaints to such organizations as the Civil Authority, the Military Attorney General, the State Attorney General, and other government offices (HaMoked n.d.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

B'Tselem, The Israeli Information for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. 2004. "B'Tselem's 2004 activities: Summary and highlights." http://www.btselem.org/english/About_BTselem/2004_Activity_Report.asp [Accessed 30 June 2005]

_____. N.d. "Beatings and Abuses." http://www.btselem.org/English/Beating_and_Abuse/Index.asp [Accessed 30 June 2005]

HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual. n.d. "About HaMoked." http://www.hamoked.org.il/pages_en.asp?page_id=1 [Accessed 30 June 2005]

Israel Police. n.d.a. "Division of Identification and Forensic Science (DIFS)." http://www.police.gov.il/english/AboutUs/Structure/01_mazap_rep2000.asp [Accessed 30 June 2005]

_____. n.d.b. "National Headquarters: Organizational Structure and Spheres of Responsibility." http://www.police.gov.il/english/AboutUs/Structure/03_en_hqunits.asp [Accessed 30 June 2005]

_____. n.d.c. "Mediating Public Complaints Against Police." http://www.police.gov.il/english/Information_Services/Mediation/01_about.asp [Accessed 18 May 2005]

Oral Sources: The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Israel Police did not respond to requests for information within time constraints.

Internet Sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), BBC, European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), Freedom House, Haaretz, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Rabbis for Human Rights, The State Comptroller and Ombudsman Israel, United States Department of State, World News Connection (WNC).